List of Utah state symbols

Last updated

Location of the state of Utah in the United States of America Utah in United States.svg
Location of the state of Utah in the United States of America

The U.S. state of Utah has 27 official symbols, as designated by the Utah State Legislature, and three unofficial symbols. All official symbols, except the Great Seal, are listed in Title 63G of Utah Code. [1] In 1896, Utah became a state, and on April 3 the Utah legislature, in its first regular session, adopted its first symbol, the Great Seal of the State of Utah. [2]

Contents

Many unique symbols of Utah are related to Utah's pioneer heritage, such as the California gull, the beehive, the dutch oven and the Sego Lily. Utah has symbols that are used by multiple states. For example, the honey bee, Utah's state insect, is also a symbol of Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, West Virginia and Wisconsin. [3]

Official state symbols

TypeSymbolDescriptionAdoptedImageSource
Animal Rocky Mountain elk
Cervus canadensis nelsoni
Once found over most of the United States and Canada, elk herds have been decimated by hunting and habitat loss. Now, elk are only found in the Rocky Mountains. State owned Hardware Ranch provides feed for 600 elk every winter. [4] 1971 Cervus canadensis2006.jpg [5]
Astronomical
symbol
Beehive Cluster The Beehive Cluster is an open cluster of about 1,000 stars and is located in the constellation Cancer. It was named the state's astronomical symbol due to having the same name as the state's emblem and nickname.1996 Messier 044 2MASS.jpg [6]
Bird California gull
Larus californicus
Named the state bird in commemoration of the "miracle of the gulls". In 1848, the pioneers were tending to their first harvest since they arrived in Utah, when Mormon cricket swarmed in and started to devour the crops. California gulls came in and ate the crickets, thus saving the crops.1955 CaliforniaGull23.jpg [7]
Emblem Beehive The beehive symbolizes industry, which is the state's motto. Before the state of Utah, the provisional government of the State of Deseret also had the beehive as its emblem. Deseret means honeybee in the Book of Mormon. [8] The first bees brought to modern-day Utah were allegedly carried by Charles Crismon from the Mormon colony in San Bernardino, California. [9] 1959 Biskotsel, Vanlig halmkupa, Nordisk familjebok.png [10]
Cooking Pot Dutch Oven Dutch ovens were the primary cooking vessels of pioneers. The World Championship Dutch Oven Cookoff is held every summer near Logan, Utah.1997 Dutch Oven -McClures Magazine.jpg [11]
Crustacean Brine Shrimp
Artemia franciscana
Brine Shrimp are widely found in the Great Salt Lake. They are the primary food source for migratory birds that fly over the lake throughout the year.2023
Artemia franciscana.jpg
[12]
Fish Bonneville Cutthroat Trout
Oncorhynchus clarki Utah
In 1997, the state fish became the Bonneville Cutthroat Trout replacing the Rainbow Trout, which had been the state fish since 1971. The Bonneville Cutthroat Trout is a native species to Utah, unlike the Rainbow Trout, and was an important source of food for the pioneers and Native Americans.1997 Bonneville cutthroat.jpg [13]
Flag The Flag of Utah This is the final design adopted as a new state flag of Utah. The design evokes images of snowy mountains and red rocks to represent the geography of Utah, the beehive represents "Industry" (the state's slogan) and Utah's nickname as "the Beehive State".2024 Flag of Utah.svg [2]
Flower Sego Lily
Calochortus nuttallii
The bulbs of the Sego Lily were used as food for the Native Americans and for the Mormon pioneers when food became scarce.1911 Sego lily cm.jpg [14]
Dance Square dance Andrew Love Neff, in his book History of Utah 1847-1869, says "The Mormons love dancing... almost every third man is a fiddler, and every one must learn to dance... Let it be remembered that only square dances were indulged in." [15] 1994 Western Square Dance Group.jpg [16]
Firearm Browning M1911 Named due to inventor John Browning's ties to Utah.2011 M1911 pistol.jpg [17]
Fossil Allosaurus A meat eater and the most common Theropod that lived during the late Jurassic period. Utah's Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry contains the densest concentration of Jurassic period fossils ever found and has more Allosaurus fossils have been found at the Quarry than anywhere else. [18] The University of Utah's Utah Museum of Natural History has the world's largest collection of Allosaurus fossils. [19] 1988 202009 Allosaurus fragilis.png [20]
Fruit Cherry
Prunus avium
Cherries are a major fruit crop in the state of Utah. Cherry trees, given by Japan just after World War II, line the Utah State Capitol grounds.1997 Rainier Cherries.JPG [21]
Gem Topaz The semiprecious crystal is made from silicon, aluminium and fluorine. Utah topaz can be yellow, gold, red and pink in color. It is found in Juab, Tooele and Beaver counties.1969 Topaz-27da.jpg [22]
Grass Indian Ricegrass
Achnatherum hymenoides
Indian ricegrass is a perennial bunchgrass. The ricegrass is a vital food source for animals as it starts to produces green shoots in late winter and into spring, before other food sources start to grow. Native Americans would turn the seeds into flour for bread. [23] 1990 Achnatherum hymenoides - Ricegrass.jpg [24]
Hymn Utah, We Love Thee Utah's original state song from 1936 to 2003. The song was written in 1895 by Evan Stephens for celebrations held in 1896, when Utah became a state.2003 Utah We Love Thee.png [25]
Insect Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
Utah's nickname is the beehive state. Utah was first called the State of Deseret with Deseret meaning honeybee in the Book of Mormon.1983 Apis mellifera bi.jpg [26]
Language English Utah voters approved Initiative A on the 2000 ballot to make English become the official language.2000 [27] [28]
Mineral Copper Utah is home to the Bingham Canyon Open Pit Copper Mine, which has produced copper since 1906. The mine has produced more copper than any other mine in history. [29] 1994 Copper.jpg [30]
Motto IndustryThe beehive symbolizes industry. A beehive appears on the state flag, and the word Industry appears on the Great Seal of the State of Utah.1959 [10]
Mushroom Porcini
Boletus edulis
They are very common around the mid and high elevations of Utah. It was added to show how important in the decomposition and health of the forests in the state.2023
Boletus edulis IT.jpg
[12]
Reptile Gila monster
Heloderma suspectum
Named the state reptile following a lobbying campaign by Utah middle schoolers. [31] The Gila monster is the only venomous lizard native to the United States. Although the Gila monster is venomous, its sluggish nature means it represents little threat to humans.2019 Gila monster2.JPG [32]
Rock Coal Coal mines in Carbon and Emery counties have been operating since 1881. [33] 1991 Coal anthracite.jpg [34]
Seal The Great Seal of the State of Utah The state seal contains a beehive in the middle, the word "industry" above the beehive and Sego Lilies growing on either side of the beehive. The bald eagle, two American flags, the date 1847, representing the year the pioneers arrived in Utah, and the date 1896, the year Utah became a state.1896 Seal of Utah (2011).svg [2] [35]
Song Utah…This Is The Place Written in 1996 for Utah's centennial celebration, it became the state song because school children "didn't like the current state song, Utah We Love Thee... that it wasn't very much fun to sing." Legislation presented by Dana Chambers Love on behalf of 4th graders from Davis county changed the song in 2003.2003 [36]
Star Dubhe
Alpha Ursae Majoris
One of the stars composing the Big Dipper. Dubhe was chosen in 1996, the state's centennial, as it was supposedly 100 light years away. In actuality, the star is 124 light years away. [37] 1996
Big Dipper 20210116.jpg
Red circle.svg
[6]
Stone Honeycomb calciteNamed for its similar appearance to honeycomb, the stone has origins in Duchesne County, Utah. Floyd Anderson was the first to discover it in 1995 and it can only be found in the Uinta Mountains. Honeycomb calcite is used as an accent for buildings.2021 Honeycomb calcite, Hanna, Utah - Natural History Museum of Utah - DSC07455.JPG [38] [39] [40]
Tartan Utah State Centennial Tartan The Utah State Centennial Tartan represents the tartans worn by the Logan and Skene Scottish clans. Fur traders Ephraim Logan and Peter Skene Ogden explored Utah in the 1820s. The cities of Logan and Ogden as well as the Logan River and the Ogden River are named after them.1996 Utah state tartan.png [41]
Tree Quaking Aspen
Populus tremuloides
The 80,000-year-old Pando aspen grove in central Utah is also considered to be among the Earth's largest and oldest living organisms. [42] The state tree was the Colorado blue spruce, prior to 2014. [43] 2014 Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides trio.jpg [44]
Vegetable Spanish sweet onion
Allium cepa
The onion is a major crop in Box Elder and Weber counties.2002
Onion (Allium cepa) Bacterial soft rot (42052268235).jpg
[45]
Vegetable,
Historic
Sugar Beet
Beta vulgaris
Sugar production in Utah was a huge enterprise from 1891 till 1920 and was dominated by the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company. A blight, caused by the beet curly top virus, severely dampened production until 1934. Production continued to drop from pressures of cheaper foreign sugar until there were no sugar factories left in Utah by 1980. [46] 2002 SugarBeet.jpg [45]

Unofficial State symbols

TypeSymbolDescriptionAdoptedImageSource
Nickname The Beehive StateThe Beehive is a common symbol of Utah, with the state motto, seal, flag and emblem related to bees or the beehive.Traditional [47]
Slogan"Utah: Life Elevated"Designed to market Utah for tourism and business, the slogan alludes to Utah's mountains, its snow and skiing. Past slogans have included, "greatest snow on earth" and "Utah: This is Still the Right Place".2006 [48]
Snack Jell-O Although not an official state symbol that appears in Utah Law, Jell-O, particularly green Jell-O, often appears as a symbol and cultural stereotype associated with the state and its Mormon population. In 2001 a simple resolution by the Utah State Senate was passed recognizing Jell-O as "a favorite snack food of Utah."2001 Day 18 - Still Eating The Green Jello (gifrancis).jpg [49]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salt Lake City</span> State capital and largest city of Utah, United States

Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake City Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which had a population of 1,257,936 at the 2020 census. Salt Lake City is further situated within a larger metropolis known as the Salt Lake City–Ogden–Provo Combined Statistical Area, a corridor of contiguous urban and suburban development stretched along a 120-mile (190 km) segment of the Wasatch Front, comprising a population of 2,746,164, making it the 22nd largest in the nation. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, it is the 117th most populous city in the United States. It is also the central core of the larger of only two major urban areas located within the Great Basin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woods Cross, Utah</span> City in Utah, United States

Woods Cross is a city in Davis County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Ogden–Clearfield, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 9,761 as of the 2010 census, with an estimated population in 2019 of 11,431.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deseret (Book of Mormon)</span> Term meaning honeybee in the Book of Mormon

Deseret is a term derived from the Book of Mormon, a scripture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other Latter Day Saint groups. According to the Book of Mormon, "deseret" meant "honeybee" in the language of the Jaredites, a group in the Book of Mormon that were led by God to the Americas after the construction of the Tower of Babel. Latter-day Saint scholar Hugh Nibley suggested an etymology by associating the word "Deseret" with the ancient Egyptian deshret, a term he translated as the "bee crown" of the Lower Kingdom, but which non-LDS scholarly sources translate as the "Red Crown".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Utah Territory</span> Territory of the U.S. between 1850-1896

The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah, the 45th state. At its creation, the Territory of Utah included all of the present-day State of Utah, most of the present-day state of Nevada save for Southern Nevada, much of present-day western Colorado, and the extreme southwest corner of present-day Wyoming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of Utah</span> State flag

The Beehive Flag is the official flag of the U.S. state of Utah. It is a horizontal tricolor with irregular bands of blue, white, and red. The middle white band contains a blue hexagon outlined in gold. Within the hexagon lies a gold-colored beehive, and below it sits a five-pointed white star.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of Salt Lake City</span> City flag in Utah, United States

The flag of Salt Lake City, representing Salt Lake City, Utah, consists of two horizontal bars of blue and white with a sego lily in the canton. It was adopted in 2020 after a city-wide contest to replace a previous flag.

Bonneville International Corporation is a media and broadcasting company, wholly owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through its for-profit arm, Deseret Management Corporation. It began as a radio and TV network in the Triad Center Broadcast House in Salt Lake City, Utah. Bonneville's name alludes to Benjamin Bonneville and the prehistoric Lake Bonneville that once covered much of modern-day Utah, which was named after him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Utah State Route 201</span> Highway in Utah

State Route 201 (SR-201) is an east–west expressway and freeway located in Salt Lake County in the U.S. state of Utah. Colloquially known by some as the 21st South Freeway, the route serves as an alternative to Interstate 80 (I-80) through Salt Lake City. From the western terminus of the route west of Magna, the highway heads east through Kennecott Copper property as an expressway before running through the western suburbs of Salt Lake City as a freeway. Shortly after the route returns on a surface route, SR-201 terminates on its eastern end at State Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kennecott Utah Copper</span> Major copper mining and refining company

Kennecott Utah Copper LLC (KUC), a division of Rio Tinto Group, is a mining, smelting, and refining company. Its corporate headquarters are located in South Jordan, Utah. Kennecott operates the Bingham Canyon Mine, one of the largest open-pit copper mines in the world in Bingham Canyon, Salt Lake County, Utah. The company was first formed in 1898 as the Boston Consolidated Mining Company. The current corporation was formed in 1989. The mine and associated smelter produce 1% of the world's copper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannon family</span> Prominent American political family

The Cannon family is a prominent U.S. political family in the states of Utah, Nevada and Idaho which descends from the 19th century marriage of George Cannon and Ann Quayle before their emigration from Peel, Isle of Man. The family's most notable member was their oldest son George Q. Cannon. The family is connected by marriage to the Bennion, Taylor, Wells and Young political families.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sugar House Prison (Utah)</span> Former prison in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Sugar House Prison, previously the Utah Territorial Penitentiary, was a prison in the Sugar House neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The 180-acre (73 ha) prison housed more than 400 inmates. It was closed in 1951 due to encroaching housing development, and all of its inmates were moved to the new Utah State Prison in Draper. The site is now occupied by Sugar House Park and Highland High School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John R. Park</span>

John Rockey Park was a prominent educator in the Territory and State of Utah in the late 19th century, and in many ways was the intellectual father of the University of Utah.

References

General
Specific
  1. "State Symbols and Designations". Utah Code. Utah State Legislature. Archived from the original on May 14, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 "Utah State Flag and Seal". Pioneer: Utah's Online Library. State of Utah. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  3. "honeybee". Great Plains Nature Center. Archived from the original on June 9, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
  4. "Rocky Mountain Elk" (PDF). Wildlife Notebook Series No. 12. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
  5. "Utah State Animal – Rocky Mountain Elk". Pioneer: Utah's Online Library. State of Utah. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  6. 1 2 "Utah State Star and Astronomical Symbol - Dubhe & the Beehive Cluster". Pioneer: Utah's Online Library. State of Utah. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
  7. "Utah State Bird – California Gull". Pioneer: Utah's Online Library. State of Utah. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  8. Poll, Richard D. (1994), "Deseret", in Powell, Allan Kent (ed.), Utah History Encyclopedia, Salt Lake City, Utah: University of Utah Press, ISBN   0874804256, OCLC   30473917
  9. "California's Mormon Pilgrims," accessed July 6, 2012.
  10. 1 2 "Utah State Motto and Emblem". Pioneer: Utah's Online Library. State of Utah. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  11. "Utah State Cooking Pot - Dutch Oven". Pioneer: Utah's Online Library. State of Utah. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
  12. 1 2 "State Symbols | Utah.gov". www.utah.gov. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
  13. "Utah State Fish – Bonneville Cutthroat Trout". Pioneer: Utah's Online Library. State of Utah. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  14. "Utah State Flower – Sego Lily". Pioneer: Utah's Online Library. State of Utah. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  15. Neff, Andrew Love; Creer, Leland Hargrave (1940). History of Utah 1847-1869. Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press.
  16. "Utah State Folk Dance - Square Dance". Pioneer: Utah's Online Library. State of Utah. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
  17. "Utah designates Browning M1911 official state firearm". BBC News. March 18, 2011. Retrieved March 19, 2011.
  18. Madsen, James H. Jr. (1993) [1976]. Allosaurus fragilis: A Revised Osteology. Utah Geological Survey Bulletin 109 (2nd ed.). Salt Lake City: Utah Geological Survey. ISBN   9781557910769 . Retrieved February 2, 2011.
  19. "Dinosaurs of Utah". Utah Museum of Natural History. Archived from the original on September 27, 2010. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
  20. "Utah State Fossil - Allosaurus". Pioneer: Utah's Online Library. State of Utah. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
  21. "Utah State Fruit – The Cherry". Pioneer: Utah's Online Library. State of Utah. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  22. "Utah State Gem - Topaz". Pioneer: Utah's Online Library. State of Utah. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
  23. "SPECIES: Achnatherum hymenoides". FEIS Reviews: Plant Species. U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
  24. "Utah State Grass – Indian Ricegrass". Pioneer: Utah's Online Library. State of Utah. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  25. "Utah State Song - "Utah, This is the Place"". Pioneer: Utah's Online Library. State of Utah. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
  26. "Utah State Insect – Honey Bee". Pioneer: Utah's Online Library. State of Utah. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  27. "Official State Language". Utah Code. Utah State Legislature. Archived from the original on November 6, 2010. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
  28. "Stating the Outcome of Voting on Initiative Petitions on the Ballot for the 2000 General Election". Executive Documents. State of Utah. Archived from the original on June 23, 2012. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  29. "Kennecott Copper: Amazing Facts". Kennecott Copper. Archived from the original on August 30, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
  30. "Utah State Mineral - Copper". Pioneer: Utah's Online Library. State of Utah. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
  31. "Utah names Gila monster as its official state reptile". Associated Press. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
  32. "HB0144". le.utah.gov. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
  33. "Old King Coal—A Long, Colorful Story". Utah History to Go. State of Utah. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
  34. "Utah State Rock - Coal". Pioneer: Utah's Online Library. State of Utah. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
  35. "Form and contents of great seal". Utah Code. Utah State Legislature. Archived from the original on August 15, 2011. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
  36. "Utah State Hymn - "Utah, We Love Thee"". Pioneer: Utah's Online Library. State of Utah. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
  37. "Dunhe". STARS. University of Illinois. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  38. Bink, Addy (17 March 2021). "Utah gets state stone under bill signed by governor". ABC4 Utah. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  39. Ebert, Emma (Spring 2019). "Rome Rocks". Y Magazine. Brigham Young University. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  40. Tanner, Todd (31 March 2021). "Utah's New State Stone: What is Honeycomb Calcite?". Fox 11 Salt Lake City. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  41. "Utah State Centennial Tartan". Pioneer: Utah's Online Library. State of Utah. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
  42. "Quaking Aspen". Bryce Canyon National Park Service . Retrieved March 27, 2014.
  43. "Utah State Tree - Aspen". pioneer.utah.gov/. Pioneer, Utah's Online Library. 2014. Retrieved Jan 25, 2015.
  44. "Utah state tree changes thanks to elementary students". KSL.com. KSL. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
  45. 1 2 "Utah State Tree – Spanish Sweet Onion and Sugar Beet". Pioneer: Utah's Online Library. State of Utah. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  46. Arrington, Leonard J. (1994), "The Sugar Industry in Utah", in Powell, Allan Kent (ed.), Utah History Encyclopedia, Salt Lake City, Utah: University of Utah Press, ISBN   0874804256, OCLC   30473917, archived from the original on 2013-11-01
  47. "Unique Utah" (PDF). Utah Office of Tourism. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 17, 2011. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  48. ""Life Elevated" Is Utah's New Slogan". KSL. March 10, 2006. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
  49. "Resolution Urging Jell-O® Recognition". Utah State Legislature. 2001. Archived from the original on February 4, 2017. Retrieved Oct 27, 2014.